Friends
by Simoun Sibylla
Summary: HEARTCATCH PRECURE. After the final battle, life returns to normal for Tsubomi and friends. But Tsubomi doesn't feel normal. Why? She has a crush on a girl. Yuri: Tsubomi x Itsuki.


**.**

**Friends**

by Simoun Sibylla

**Fandom**: _Heartcatch PreCure. _No rights belong to me.

**Pairings**: Tsubomi x Itsuki, Erika x Tsubomi?, implied Momoka x Yuri if you're desperately looking for it. Yuri/femslash, obviously. Rated PG.

**Note: **I wanted to write something simple, fluffy, and childish. This is what I got. Apologies for the angst that worked it's way in there, but it's hard to do a "coming out about your gay crush" story without a little angst…

. . .

"Itsuki, isn't it time you got a haircut?" blurted out Erika late one afternoon on the way home from school.

"Erika," hissed Tsubomi, walking at Erika's left. She lightly nudged Erika in the side.

Erika turned to Tsubomi and lightly elbowed her back. "What?" She raised her eyebrows at Tsubomi before turning back to Itsuki on her right. "It's just gotten longer than usual, that's all!"

Itsuki ran a hand through her blonde hair and let out a nervous laugh. "Um, well, to be honest, I'm letting it grow out a bit."

"Oooh! How long? How long?" wondered Erika. "It'll take a hundred years to grow as long as Cure Sunshine's hair, you know!"

Itsuki cast her eyes down for a moment. "Actually," she began, her voice low, "I was thinking—now that we don't transform into Pretty Cures anymore, it might be nice to have long hair in my normal form, too." She looked up at Erika and Tsubomi. "Unless you think it'll look weird?"

"No, no!" replied Erika and Tsubomi in unison.

Itsuki's face brightened. She laughed. "Thanks."

"Your Cure form was cute, Itsuki! Long hair looks good on you!" Erika insisted. "But I was pretty cute as Marine, too. My hair was awesome." She reached up to twirl a strand of her own blue hair around a finger. "But my hair grows so slowly…" She let out a sigh.

"No matter what you look like, you're cute, Itsuki!" piped up Tsubomi.

Erika and Itsuki both turned to look at her.

Realizing her compliment came out sounding rather weird, Tsubomi's face reddened. "I mean, long hair, short hair, any hair, you're cute. Erika, too. Everyone's cute. Um."

Itsuki and Erika blinked at her, but then Itsuki gave her a warm smile. "You're cute, too, Tsubomi."

"Yes! I have the cutest friends in the world!" cried Erika. "We are the strongest Pretty Cures, and the cutest pretty girls! Hahaa!"

"Oh, Erika, stop it already with the 'strongest' Pretty Cure thing."

"But we SAVED THE WORLD, Tsubomi! Or have you forgotten?"

"N-no, but…"

Itsuki came to a halt, and Tsubomi and Erika stopped a moment later, realizing belatedly that they had reached the path leading to the Myodoin dojo. "I'm off, you two," said Itsuki. "I'll see you tomorrow!" She smiled at them and waved.

"Yes! Tomorrow!" Erika waved back.

"Bye, Itsuki!" added Tsubomi, waving as well.

Itsuki waved once more, then turned and hurried home. Erika and Tsubomi continued heading towards their own neighborhood. The sun was starting to drop towards the horizon, and gentle breeze teased Tsubomi's hair. The air carried a hint of flowers growing in well-tended suburban gardens. Tsubomi took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, smiling to herself. Today had been a good day.

"Oh! I have a brilliant idea!" cried Erika all of a sudden.

"What?"

Erika grinned. "I'm going to make some fabulous hair accessories for Itsuki to help her with her longer hairstyle! You know, something to help her keep it out of her face until it grows out more?"

Tsubomi immediately pictured Itsuki with long, flowing hair pinned back on one side with a beautiful jewel-studded clip. "Aah, that would be nice," she admitted. But perhaps a sporty ponytail with a cute ribbon would suit her better? Or maybe two short pigtails—not as long as Cure Sunshine's, but proper pigtails nonetheless—would be even cuter? But a simple hairband would be best while her hair was still growing out. There were so many possible hairstyles and accessories, and Itsuki would look good with any of them. Next time they got together, maybe Itsuki would let them play with her hair to test out some new styles. Tsubomi would gently brush out that silky, golden hair, watching as Itsuki relaxed and closed her eyes while Tsubomi worked her magic—

"Tsubomiiiii."

"Eh? What?"

"Why are you grinning like an idiot?"

"Huh? Me?" Tsubomi swallowed nervously, her mouth feeling weirdly dry. "I was just thinking how fun it'd be if…if we made some hair accessories in the Fashion Club next week."

"Ooh! Good idea! Good idea! We needed a new project anyway! I'll look around this weekend and see what materials we can buy! Momo-nee had this totally adorable hairband on the other day, too. Maybe I can borrow it and bring it along as inspiration!" Erika rambled on, losing herself in her latest fashion idea.

Tsubomi managed a smile, but mostly she was relieved to have distracted her friend before she could pry further. Erika would only tease her if she knew about these silly thoughts Tsubomi had about Itsuki now and then. Tsubomi hadn't forgotten how Erika had laughed at her when Tsubomi first realized that Itsuki wasn't a boy. Just thinking about that mistake made Tsubomi's face redden. But how was Tsubomi supposed to have known? She had been the new girl in town, and there was this cool, charming, beautiful person fighting in the dojo, and this person _looked _and _talked _like a boy. Itsuki didn't seem to mind her mistake, since many people confused her gender, but still—Tsubomi couldn't forget. There were certain feelings that the androgynous Itsuki inspired in her that hadn't gone away with the revelation that Itsuki was actually a girl. Even seeing the boyish Itsuki transform into a very cute Pretty Cure with long blonde pigtails and a girly costume hadn't been able to erase the strange, nervous feeling and rush of admiration Tsubomi had felt the moment she first set eyes upon Itsuki.

There was only one possible conclusion: Itsuki was cute. Whether she was wearing a boy's school uniform or a sexy Pretty Cure outfit, she was cute and Tsubomi couldn't get enough of her.

_You're cute, too, Tsubomi_, echoed Itsuki's voice in her head. Recalling how Itsuki had smiled at her as she said it made Tsubomi's heart skip a beat.

"TSUBOMI."

Startled, Tsubomi looked at Erika. "Yes?"

"Seriously, what's up with you today?" wondered Erika, poking Tsubomi's forehead with a delicate finger. "You are so not paying any attention to what I'm saying!"

"Yes, I am! You were talking about hair accessories!"

"No, I was asking if you want to meet up tomorrow afternoon to do our math homework together! Sighing and blushing is not a proper answer!"

Tsubomi's face grew even hotter. "I was not—"

"Yes, you were!" grinned Erika.

Tsubomi bit her lip, willing her face to return to its normal color. "Anyway, yes, let's do our math homework together."

"Great. Want to come over for lunch at my house and then work?"

"Sure."

"I'll text Itsuki later and see if she wants to come, too."

"Should we invite anyone else?"

Erika's eyes narrowed just as a sly smile crept across her lips. "Nah, I think it'll be better if it's just the three of us."

Tsubomi felt a flutter of nervousness in her stomach. She gripped her schoolbag tighter. "Sure. It'll be fun."

Erika leaned in close, bumping her shoulder against Tsubomi's. "Or would you rather study alone with Itsuki?" she said, laughter in her voice. "Hmm?"

Tsubomi nearly jerked away reflexively, then caught herself. "What? Uh, no. No way!" She mustered her calmest tone of voice. "It'll be more fun for all of us to study together!" But then she saw the huge grin on Erika's face and knew that she wasn't convincing her. "Well, then, I've got to run," she said, struggling to sound normal while her feet were already turning her towards her house. "But I'll see you tomorrow for lunch!"

"Sure thing. Bye, Tsubomi!"

"Bye!" she managed to say, and then she dashed to the safety of her home, far away from Erika's knowing smile.

oOoOoOo

Tsubomi sometimes wondered if Itsuki remembered that day—that strange day when Tsubomi, as Cure Blossom, had rescued Itsuki from a monster. Even in the midst of battle, even though she had been just a weak novice Cure at the time, Tsubomi had for a moment felt so strong and bold as she had wrapped an arm around Itsuki's slim waist and swept her away. In the battles that followed, when she felt weak and helpless, she had recalled that moment and reminded herself that even someone like her could become the magical girl who saved the handsome boys and charming girls from danger.

And when Itsuki herself became Cure Sunshine, Tsubomi felt stronger just having her at her side. But she wanted to become even stronger, not only to defeat the enemy, but also to show everyone that Cure Blossom was worthy of fighting at the powerful Cure's side. And when Itsuki took hold of her hands and gently guided her into the sky on their way to the Heart Tree, Tsubomi felt like she could overcome anything if only Itsuki would smile at her like that again and softly murmur her name.

And they had overcome everything. When all four Cures had come together to defeat Dune in that last battle in space for the fate of the planet, the part of that cosmic Pretty Cure that was Tsubomi had recognized it as something that came from deep within her own heart: _infinite power, infinite love._

"Tsubomi…"

Something hard was tapping against the top of Tsubomi's head. "Huh?" She looked up and realized Erika was prodding her head lightly with a pencil. "Hey!" She raised an arm to defend herself and Erika backed off.

"You are so spacey lately!" chided Erika. "Do your homework! Do your homework!"

Embarrassed to be reprimanded by Erika when usually it was the other way around, Tsubomi quickly looked down at the table and rearranged her math textbook and notes. "I am, I am!"

Erika snorted. "Yeah, right."

Tsubomi tried to ignore her and focus on finishing the assignment. She found where she had left off and got back to work on deciphering the equation. It was a shame that Itsuki couldn't join them today, but maybe it was for the best. Her concentration would probably be even worse if Itsuki were sitting here beside her at the low table on the floor of Erika's room. Itsuki's brows would be furrowed as she pondered the complexities of arithmetic. And she had this habit of biting her lip ever so slightly when she was lost in thought, which Tsubomi found quite adorable—

"Tsubomi, I don't know how to say this, but are you in love or something?

"EH?"

"I've been thinking about this for a while, but lately..." Erika mused as she tapped her pencil against her notebook, then dropped it and let it roll across the table. "There's nothing you can do about it, I guess," she sighed. She scooted around the table to sit on the floor right by Tsubomi. "Tell me, is it who I think it is?"

Tsubomi couldn't even open her mouth, let alone say anything coherent. Erika just stared at her with smug blue eyes, waiting for her suspicion to be confirmed. Finally, Tsubomi managed to shake her head, hoping that would be enough.

"Oh come on!" cried Erika. "Tell me tell me tell me tell me—!"

"I can't!"

"Okay, okay, just be honest: is it someone I know?"

Tsubomi picked up her notebook and raised it between her and Erika like a barrier. She tried to hide her face behind it, feeling a telltale blush already creeping up her neck. "Maybe."

Erika punched a fist into the air as though she had won some kind of grand prize. "I knew it! And I know exactly what's going to happen. Momo-nee told me all about it, you know." She clasped her hands together and batted her eyes dramatically. "You feel flustered just being in the same room, and when your lover smiles at you, your stomach feels awful. But then one day you hold hands, and look at each other, and then you confess your love with a kiss! And then you can sneak around at school together and meet at lunch and share notes if you missed a day of class and then go home together and kiss each other every day forever!"

"I don't think that's going to happen to me," sighed Tsubomi. She slid lower behind the notebook, wishing she could hide herself completely from Erika and conceal her strange thoughts from the world. They were strange, after all, these thoughts about a girl who was more charming than any boy…

Erika grabbed the notebook and pulled it away from Tsubomi to toss it back onto the table. "Tsubomi…" Her blue eyes gleamed deviously. "Have you even kissed someone before?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. Have you kissed someone?"

"Um, I kiss my parents on the cheek sometimes."

"No, no, no! I'm talking about your first kiss! A kiss of love!"

Tsubomi's face was definitely flushed now. She shook her head slightly and whispered, "No."

"For real?"

"Yeah."

Erika backed off a bit. She rubbed her chin, thinking. "I see. Hmm." After a moment she said, "Last year the girls in our class had a sort of Super Kissing Practice where we all decided to get our first kisses out of the way so it wouldn't be awkward later when we wanted to do it for real. But you weren't here for that."

Tsubomi's eyes widened at the thought of her classmates kissing. She wondered who Erika had kissed. And then she wondered if Itsuki had kissed anyone, too.

Erika caught her look. "You know, to practice? It was no big deal." She paused, gazing at Tsubomi. "Didn't you do something similar at your old school?"

Tsubomi shook her head. She'd never even heard of people practicing kissing. At her old school they'd never even talked about that sort of thing, though now part of her she wished they had.

Erika tapped a finger thoughtfully against her chin, but then she lowered her hand and leaned forward. "Well, then I guess I'll just have to teach you how to do it." Her face was suddenly serious.

"W-what?"

Erika put her hands lightly on Tsubomi's shoulders. "Don't move—stay just like that."

Before Tsubomi could even react, Erika leaned in, and something soft touched Tsubomi's lips. There was the faintest taste of apple—they'd had apple slices as a snack earlier—and something else, something more alluring—

_Her first kiss._

Tsubomi suddenly regained control of herself and pushed Erika away. She couldn't bring herself to look at her friend. Her face felt hot, her eyes stung, and all she wanted to do was get out of this room, away from Erika and whatever had just happened. She grabbed her things off the table and swept them into her bag, not caring that her papers were crumpled. She just needed to get away from here.

"Tsubomi? Where are you—"

"Home!" Her voice quavered. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second, trying to keep the tears at bay. Then she stood up resolutely, picked up her bag, and bolted for the door. And then she was out, away, and running home as fast as she could.

oOoOoOo

Tsubomi avoided Erika the rest of the weekend and ignored her phone completely for fear that Erika would try to call or e-mail her. When Monday came, Tsubomi hurried to school early and didn't wait for Erika as she usually did. At school, she did her best to avoid talking to Erika. She spent the lunch break by herself in the school garden in the company of the peaceful flowers who were not awkward and would not try to steal kisses from her. And at the end of the day, when she saw Itsuki and Erika waiting near the school gate, Tsubomi ducked her head down sheepishly, tightened her grip on the handle of her bag, and hurried past her friends, saying only, "Sorry, I've gotta run! Bye!"

"Is something wrong with Tsubomi?" she heard Itsuki ask as she left them, but she did not slow down to hear Erika's response.

The next day Tsubomi tried to avoid Erika again, but this time Itsuki wouldn't let her escape during lunch. Tsubomi found herself forced to eat with Erika, with Itsuki sitting between them as a buffer. Erika seemed her usual self, as though nothing had happened. Tsubomi poked at the contents of her lunchbox with her chopsticks and found she had no appetite. She just wanted to get away from both Erika and Itsuki for a while.

When class ended in the afternoon, Tsubomi pleaded illness and skipped out on the Fashion Club to hurry home before either Erika or Itsuki could say anything to her.

The following day, she managed to avoid Erika almost entirely again. Tsubomi ate lunch with some other classmates to avoid falling into Itsuki's trap again, and then rushed out of the classroom at the end of the day before anyone could even ask if she was going to attend her club activities.

But on her way out the school gates, Itsuki finally caught up with her. She must have waited just out of sight beyond the gate until Tsubomi arrived. Caught off guard, Tsubomi stopped in her tracks.

"Hey, Tsubomi. I was hoping to catch you."

Tsubomi didn't know what to say. Itsuki appeared to be alone, and Erika was nowhere in sight, but other students were pouring out of the school building behind her. Erika could be among them. At the thought, Tsubomi automatically began walking away, towards home.

Itsuki fell into step beside her. "Is everything alright? I noticed you weren't at the Fashion Club meeting yesterday."

"I'm fine," Tsubomi managed to say.

"Really?"

Tsubomi nodded and looked down, avoiding Itsuki's eyes.

They walked on in silence for a little while until Itsuki said, "Hey, if you have a moment, come with me."

Tsubomi looked up. Itsuki was moving toward the entrance of a small green neighborhood park. Although Tsubomi could hear kids playing nearby, this park had no playground equipment—just a few trees, some shrubs, and a wooden bench tucked away in a corner. Itsuki walked over to the bench and sat down, patting the empty seat beside her. Tsubomi hesitated, then followed her and sat down next to Itsuki. She set her bookbag down in the grass at her feet.

"We can talk here—no one will bug us," said Itsuki in a warm, reassuring tone, though when Tsubomi hazarded a glance up she could tell that Itsuki was worried.

"I'm sorry for making you worry," began Tsubomi. "I just haven't been feeling well. That's all."

There was a moment of silence, but then Itsuki asked, "So it's not that you and Erika had a fight or anything?"

Tsubomi shifted on the bench, looking down at her feet. "No," she said softly, and involuntarily thought of how Erika's lips had felt against hers. Did Itsuki know what it felt like to kiss a girl? What would Itsuki say if she knew what Erika had done?

"I know I'm butting my head into something that's none of my business, but both of you are acting pretty weird."

"Yeah, I'm probably pretty weird," murmured Tsubomi, mostly to herself.

"Hm?"

"Nothing."

Itsuki let out a small sigh and put an arm on the back of the bench behind Tsubomi. "You know, if there's something you're worried about—an illness, or anything—you can talk to me about it."

At her words, Tsubomi looked up. Itsuki gazed steadily at her. "I know life can't always be flowers and rainbows. I learned that a long time ago." Tsubomi's chest tightened as she thought of Itsuki's family situation, but then Itsuki reached out and placed a warm hand over Tsubomi's on the bench and all coherent thought flew from Tsubomi's mind.

"If there's anything I can do, just say so," said Itsuki, and Tsubomi thought her heart might stop.

But then Itsuki pulled back her hand and settled back against the bench, leaving Tsubomi feeling suddenly cold and alone.

"You've been friends with Erika longer than with me, so of course you probably confide in her more than me. But if there's ever something you feel you can't tell Erika, talk to me." Itsuki's smile was gentle. "I'm always happy to listen. After all we've been through together, I want you to know that."

Tsubomi swallowed, moved by Itsuki's affection and feeling guilty for making her doubt how much Tsubomi trusted her. Itsuki shouldn't have gotten pulled into this. Tsubomi shouldn't have acted like this. She was not treating either of her best friends as well as she should.

"Thanks, Itsuki." She smiled apologetically. "But I'm fine, really."

Itsuki leaned in a bit closer. "I hate to see you unhappy. You're much prettier when you smile!"

Tsubomi's heart leapt.

Itsuki rose to her feet and extended a hand to Tsubomi like a proper gentleman. "Shall we head home?"

Tsubomi placed her hand in Itsuki's outstretched palm. Itsuki smiled and pulled Tsubomi to her feet. Suddenly she realized they were standing eye-to-eye, hand-in-hand.

_You hold hands, and look at each other, and then you confess your love with a kiss._

With Erika's words echoing in her mind, Tsubomi found she couldn't let go of Itsuki's hand.

"Itsuki—"

"Yes?"

Pretending the blush making its way to her face was invisible, Tsubomi mustered her courage and asked, "Have you ever…kissed someone?"

"Huh? Why do you ask?"

Tsubomi felt the magic of the moment vanishing. "I just wanted to know. That's all."

"Well…I guess I have."

Something tightened in Tsubomi's throat. So her suspicion had been correct. Itsuki had probably kissed someone, just as Erika had. Maybe Itsuki had even moved beyond practice and confessed her love to someone. Maybe she already had someone she kissed everyday and wanted to keep kissing forever.

"Sorry, I'm being too nosy." She released Itsuki's hand and bent down to pick up her schoolbag. A teardrop fell from her eyes into the lush grass, but she quickly rubbed her eye and wiped away any other tears that could potentially betray her. She took a deep breath, then straightened up and forced herself to step away from Itsuki. "I—I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Like I said, if you need me, I'm here for you. No matter what."

"Thanks. Really. See you tomorrow."

"See you, Tsubomi."

oOoOoOo

After dinner that night, Tsubomi went to her room and noticed her cell phone was blinking. Picking up the phone, she saw a message from Itsuki: "_Can I ask…why'd you want to talk about kissing earlier?"_

Tsubomi clutched the phone to her chest, feeling her heart racing. She had been so awkward today in the park. She should never have asked Itsuki such a personal question out of the middle of nowhere.

But now how should she reply?

She sat down on her bed and stared at Itsuki's message for a few minutes, then began to type back: "_Just curious._" That was the best approach—playing it cool.

Itsuki's reply was almost instantaneous. "_That's no answer!"_

Tsubomi let out a sigh and wrote back: "_I was talking with Erika about it the other day, that's all."_

No response came for a few minutes, but then the phone chimed as Itsuki replied: "_Is that why you and Erika aren't talking anymore?"_

Tsubomi stared at the cell phone in her hand and wondered what to say. But as the minutes passed, she knew she couldn't say anything more. She wasn't ready to tell Itsuki everything. She typed: "_I've gotta go to bed now. Good night."_

"_OK. Night!" _There was a smiley face at the end of the message.

It only made Tsubomi feel worse.

oOoOoOo

The next school day was even more uncomfortable. Tsubomi found herself unable to talk to Itsuki for fear that Itsuki would pursue the line of questioning about Tsubomi's strange behavior. And the thought that Itsuki had kissed someone else before kept gnawing at Tsubomi's mind. But she couldn't turn to Erika for distraction, since every time she saw her friend, she thought of how her first kiss had been stolen.

It was easier just to stay quiet and pretend she was alone than deal with her friends.

But she couldn't avoid the Fashion Club again today. They had an important planning meeting on the calendar, and since Tsubomi had missed the last session, she really couldn't afford to skip again and fall even more behind on their project. So she sat in the back and chatted with her fellow club members, avoiding Itsuki and Erika as much as possible while counting down the minutes until she could go home.

"Alright, good job, everyone!" announced Erika, clapping her hands loudly to get everyone's attention. "This meeting is over! Let's meet again next week at our usual time, 'kay?"

The club dispersed with a flurry of chattering and clattering as the girls filed out of the room. Tsubomi got up to leave as well, but suddenly she felt something catch the back of her blouse and pull her up short. She looked over her shoulder and saw Erika clinging to the back of her uniform.

"Don't you dare sneak away, Tsubomi," ordered Erika. She turned and shouted, "Itsuki! Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Itsuki turned back from the doorway. "Me? What's up?"

Erika released Tsubomi's shirt and crossed her arms. "What is wrong with you two today?" She glared at Itsuki and Tsubomi in turn.

"Eh?"

"What?"

Erika jabbed a finger at them. "You're both being super awkward today and I'd like to know why!"

Itsuki glanced at Tsubomi. "Awkward?" repeated Itsuki. "Us?" She looked back at Tsubomi. Tsubomi tried to hold her gaze, but suddenly she had to look away. Her face felt hot again. This was all too uncomfortable. Why was Erika putting them on the spot like this? It only made things worse.

"See, that's what I'm talking about!" She leaned close to Tsubomi. "Could it be, Tsubomi, that something happened yesterday? Hmm?" She raised a hand to cover her mouth as she whispered in Tsubomi's ear, "Did you finally make a move on Itsuki or something?"

"Erika!" Tsubomi pulled away. "I'm not ready for that yet! We just talked and I—" She caught herself.

The room fell silent.

Tsubomi suddenly realized what she had said. She hazarded a glance at Itsuki, who gazed back at her with an embarrassed face.

"Erika, you really don't know how to whisper, do you," said Itsuki flatly. "I heard every word."

Tsubomi felt her face turn neon red. "Um…um…" she stammered, struggling to find the words that would get her out of this unbelievably awkward situation. "It's not—um—no, I mean…"

Erika folded her arms. "How about this? I leave you two alone, but I won't let you out of this room until you both sort yourselves out—for better or for worse!" She pushed past Tsubomi and Itsuki and hurried to the doorway. "And don't think I'll let you out!" Before anyone could protest, she slid the door shut with a slam. "I'm barricading this thing shut!"

Tsubomi stared at the door, wondering why Erika had betrayed her.

"Is it true?"

Tsubomi turned away from the door and back to Itsuki. "Is what true?"

"That you…maybe…wanted to make a move?" It was clear that even Itsuki felt uncomfortable.

Tsubomi glanced back at the door, then took a few steps closer to Itsuki. "Maybe," she said softly, hoping Erika wouldn't overhear. "But not like that—I don't know. I'm sorry, I'm being weird, I know."

But a smile of relief spread across Itsuki's face. "Is that all?"

"Huh?"

"I thought something was seriously wrong. I was scared that my friends were going through something so terrible they couldn't tell me about it. And when you asked about kissing, I thought maybe someone had done something terrible to you."

That seemed like an accurate description of the situation to Tsubomi, but she didn't want to tell her that. And she couldn't tell Itsuki about kissing Erika against her will. And she definitely couldn't tell Itsuki about the feelings she had for Itsuki even though she knew she was a girl. Yes, the situation was terrible.

"I told you, you can tell me anything that's on your mind. Anything." She took Tsubomi's hand and squeezed it encouragingly. "Go on, tell me—tell me your true feelings, tell me what's really bothering you."

Erika's words echoed in her mind: _You hold hands, and look at each other, and then…_

"I…I like you, Itsuki."

"Hm? I can't hear you."

"I…like you."

"I like you, too, Tsubomi. You're my best friend."

Tsubomi felt a pang in her chest and forced herself to smile. "But I can't be anything more than that to you," she murmured. "We're both girls, and that's not normal…" She tried to pull her hands out of Itsuki's grasp, but Itsuki simply tightened her grip—just enough to keep Tsubomi from escaping.

"Can I tell you what you already are to me, then?"

Tsubomi looked up. She nodded.

"I thought you were cute from the first time I saw you. And when I was saved by Cure Blossom, I thought, 'Wow, this girl is impressive.' And when I learned that you and Cure Blossom were the same person, well…" She released Tsubomi's hands. "When I look at you now, I see both your cuteness and your strength. And I admire that in you."

"Eh? You see that in me?"

"And after we became one during that last battle in space, I know you have the biggest heart out of anyone I've ever met."

"I'm just—" She faltered, unsure of how to respond to such a compliment.

"So that's why—that's why I like you, too," said Itsuki.

Tsubomi knew she should be happy that Itsuki valued her company so. But that did not change the pain in her heart, the feeling of growing despair as she realized that Itsuki was just trying to let her down gently by talking about their great friendship. And that was all they had—their friendship.

At that moment, she felt relief—it was all out in the open now and she had some clarity at last. She no longer had to hide these feelings. She could move on. For better or for worse, as Erika had said.

"You know, I figured that after you realized I was a girl, you wouldn't be interested," continued Itsuki, smiling sheepishly now. "I didn't expect you'd be the one to—"

Tsubomi blinked. Itsuki's words slowly sank in. Her eyes widened. "You mean, it's okay if I'm a girl?" she blurted out.

"It is." Itsuki stepped closer, and suddenly the distance between them was gone. "Assuming you're okay with me being a girl, too."

Tsubomi felt a dizzying rush of joy. She drew herself up to her full height. "The fact that we're both girls can't change my love!" Her voice resounded with conviction.

Itsuki laughed. "You sound like Cure Blossom again!" A slight rosiness colored Itsuki's cheeks.

Tsubomi smiled, her first genuine smile in days. Itsuki's laugh filled her with delight. Itsuki's beaming face made her happy. Itsuki's compliments made her feel more powerful than any magical girl. She wanted to see Itsuki smile and laugh more. She wanted to make her feel this happy, too.

"Itsuki. Thank you."

Itsuki reached out and pulled her close, and Tsubomi thought her heart might burst. She could feel Itsuki's warmth, the soft pressure of her arms around her, the slight tickle of her breath against her skin.

"Tsubomi?"

"Yes?"

"Can I kiss you?"

"O-of course."

And before she knew it, Itsuki was kissing her, kissing her in a way that was completely different from what Erika had done to her. Now she knew this was her true first kiss—her first kiss of love.

They were interrupted by the sound of the door sliding open. "Hey, are you two done yet?"

Embarrassed, they pulled apart and found Erika peering in through the door. Her eyes widened as she realized what she must have interrupted, but then she laughed and bounded into the room. "Finally! Took you two long enough!" She threw her arms around Tsubomi and Itsuki, pulling them into a group hug. "My two best friends, together at last!"

"Augh, Erika, you're squeezing too hard!" gasped Tsubomi as Erika nearly crushed her with her embrace.

"Yeah, Erika, don't you cling to my girlfriend like that," chided Itsuki with a smile. Tsubomi felt her face redden at the sound of that word, but Erika merely laughed. She released them from her hug and danced around them in a circle before practically skipping back to the door.

"Well then, since my work here is done, let's all go out for ice cream!"

"Eh?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Okay, so it's decided. Ice cream it is." She wagged a finger at Tsubomi and Itsuki. "And you better not think that you can get rid of me now that you're all lovey-dovey."

"We wouldn't dare," laughed Itsuki. "You're one of the legendary Pretty Cures, after all!"

"That's right! And don't you forget it!"

Laughing, the three of them made their way to the door. Tsubomi paused and looked back at the empty room. Sunlight was streaming through the windows, warm and bright and full of promise. She smiled, then turned to hurry after her friend—and her new girlfriend.


End file.
